After winning the Absa Wildeklawer football tournament,, Lekhoba NgakaneThe football manager at Virginia High Schoolsaid Supersport Plus Schools That the school’s victory made waves in the city of free state.
Ngakane explained that Virginia High is in partnership with the Virginia Sports Academy. In club competitions, they unite as Virginia Sports Academy, but they are exhausted as Virginia High School in school sporting events.
Work in this way helps the screening for players and the double pursuit of football and academics in Virginia High.
Since its opening in 2018, Virginia High has prospered on the football field and has drawn national attention, some players attracting the attention of national teams. Oageng Lebesane won a place in the U17 South African national teamwhile SELLO MOKHOBO And Lisolethu Tshangela were included in the preliminary team.
Virginia High also excels in other sports codes, including netball and athletics, with Kgotso tansi And TSHOGOFATTSO TSOKODUBANE representing the free state at National Athletics Championship in South Africa (ASA) CAP during the March holidays.
Although the school has already achieved so many things, Ngakane humbly describes having won the title Absa Wildklawer as “surreal”.
“The school opened its doors in 2018 and we didn’t have sport at all,” he said. “We started to have sport in 2022.
“It was then that we started with football Gray college with the installations they have.
“We have always admitted HTS Louis Botha. We have always been afraid of HTS Louis Botha. Their dream is not superficial. They take sport very seriously.
Ngakane has credited the head coach Mokoena pso – a former player for Bloemfontein Celtic, stars of the free state, And Amazulu FC – For the success of Virginia.
Competition at the highest level
It is not as if Virginia High’s victory at the Absa Wildklawer tournament was, however, an unexpected bolt. They have already made their mark in other major events, including the Challenge Knockout EngenAnd they are the provincial champion of Engen CupAfter having recorded consecutive titles in 2023 and 2024.
In 2023, they were also the bronze medalists of the Engen field fields During the competition as Virginia Sports Academy, Ngakane underlined.
In 2023 and 2024, they were the provincial champions of the Kay Word School Championship,, which celebrated the 20th anniversary last year.
“It is not by chance that we are where we say that we are,” said Ngakane. “(It is because of) the quantity of work we do before many schools start with their practices or their matches. We start immediately when we reopen in January.
“With our pre-season, I don’t mean it’s hard, but it’s very eventful. You swear that we play in a PSL league, so it is not by chance that we are where we are.”
Virginia High also participates in the local SAFA REGIONAL LEAGUE, known as the Hollywoodbets Regional Leaguefor sponsorship ends. It is the fourth level of domestic football in the South African football pyramid.
Facing the older adversaries of the League hardened the mentality of school players and has strengthened its competitiveness.
Change mentality
In 2024, they finished seventh at the Absa Wildeklawer football tournament. Ngakane believes that this team could have won the event and suggested that it was, in fact, better than the current team.
“I don’t know what happened, but this team last year was the one who was going to win the Wilklawer. But I think it’s (our winning mentality) (who won it) this year.”
Virginia’s team in 2025 is younger than last year’s powerful unit. But it is fueled by a winning state of mind and a spirit of combat, which carried it as a title in Kimberley.
“When you watch the matches in which we conceded first, our team had the rebound mentality to win these matches, so this is their mentality. We also learned from last year,” said Ngakane.
“Winning the Wildeklawer is an honor”
“Wherever I go, they (people) continue to say” hello, champion “. It’s wonderful. We don’t take it lightly. It is an honor that we wear like a badge.
“We have written the name of Virginia High School among the best, and when you look at who won Wildeklawer, it’s HTS Louis Botha and Clapham high schoolSo you mention the Virginia High School, “he added.
Ngakane praised the parents who supported the team throughout the Absa Wilklawer and HTS Louis Botha tournament for their support in the final, despite the elimination of the Bloemfontein team by Virginia High in the semi-finals.
It was, he felt, a remarkable demonstration of sporty spirit that they stood behind Virginia at the top of the final against the Wildklawer academy.
A dedicated passionate and writer, Siya has three diplomas from Rhodes University, including a third cycle diploma from Rhodes University. He also played amateur cricket and football, both during his university years. While perfecting his journalism skills at the Grocott’s Mail in Makhanda, he developed a deep interest in the community’s response to crime. In addition, he covered subjects such as art / culture and student policy at Rhodes University in 2022. During his free time, Siya can be found in the process of exploring galleries, eating in restaurants, engaging in literature, taking photos or enjoying his favorite dish, spaghetti.
